The Reliability Metric

A Quick and Valuable Improvement Over MTBF

Finished it. 130 pages long and packed with advice on why and how to switch from MTBF to reliability.

Based in large part on comments, feedback, discussions and input from you, my peers in the NoMTBF tribe. Thanks for the encouragement and support.

The Reliability Metric book is available here.

We talk about reliability when selecting components, technologies, or systems. We talk about reliability of products with our friends and colleagues. We need to know reliability (predictions and test results) when evaluating a new design or new purchase.

Reliability is the ability of a device to function as expected with a probability of success over a specific duration within a specific environment.

The ways we establish goals, evaluate estimates, design accelerated testing, and model system availability all depend on our understanding of reliability.

Despite the importance of the measure, we regularly use the Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF). Instead, we should use reliability directly. Clearly stating the probability of success over time does not rely on assumptions or simplifications.

MTBF is very common and should not be used except when justified. Instead, we should use a metric that is easy to understand, easy to work with, and clear to our vendors, team, and customers.

In this ebook we will explore reliability metrics including MTBF and reliability. The choice to avoid using MTBF and switch to reliability should become obvious.

Get your copy today and let’s continue the movement away from MTBF and toward improved reliability performance.

The Reliability Metric book is available here.

Plans and Ideas

The blog has been fun. Enjoyed the guest posts by 6 other authors (always looking for more articles for the site). And, finally organized and published a book on the topic.

Now what?

Well, I am thinking about a couple of ideas. Let me know your thoughts and suggestions. The intent is to continue to improve our ability to effectively engage with our teams to improve reliability performance. Avoiding MTBF is one big step, and there is plenty more we can do.

Online Course Idea

How about an online self-paced course which is a mix of lecture, reading material and worksheets? Expanding on the book and focused on practical actions you can take to make significant improvements in your reliability program. Of course this starts with eliminating the use of MTBF.

• How to move your organization away from MTBF as the primary metric?
• Working with your vendors to get useful reliability information.
• Building and helping others understand useful reliability models.
• and more.

Let me know what you would like to see in the course? Email me (Fred) directly at fms@fmsreliability.com

NoMTBF Podcast Idea

How about a weekly podcast? Not sure of the format, duration, or full range of topics, yet probably will start by discussing the best of the articles on the site.

How would you like a show that

• Highlights the problems reliability professionals face everyday and what you can do to create solutions.
• Discusses how to identify and rectify dysfunctional parts of your organization and how to get them on track.
• Showcases success stores, interviews practitioners doing excellent work, and more.

Just an idea at this point, so it’s time to let me know what you think. What would you like to see (hear) in a podcast sponsored by the NoMTBF site? Duration, format, features, ideas, suggestions, etc.

Let me know what you would like to see in the podcast? Email me (Fred) directly at fms@fmsreliability.com